The British are some of the most sport obsessed people on the planet; every weekend people watch or take part in almost every manner of sport conceivable.

Television and radio schedules are dominated by major sporting events, at the weekend, and the UK also has around seven designated sports channels, showing nothing but sport 7 days a week 365 days a year.

Saturday is the biggest sporting day, and once all the matches, races and events are over you can then phone up one of the many radio stations and join in popular discussions with the whole nation on, you guessed it, more sport.

There are hundreds of different sporting events taking place each week, with football and rugby probably being the most popular, followed by cricket, golf, tennis and motor-racing.

Horse-racing is also hugely important to the British, along with snooker, darts, boxing and show-jumping and athletics, but unlike many other European countries there is not much interest in basketball.

The British are widely credited with inventing modern football, rugby, cricket, golf and tennis and then exporting them around the world, although modern historians will argue that many of these games actually came from ancient Mediterranean civilizations.  Historians will argue over anything though.

As well as watching all different manner of sports the British like to participate, and the parks and playing fields are often full of people involved in matches. In Regent’s Park, London, there are public football matches where anyone can turn up and join in without an invitation, and similar events go on all across the country.

Head out of the towns and cities and you will find that horses are a dominant part of many people’s lives, whether riding for pleasure or taking part in sports such as hunting and jumping. The lakes and rivers are also full at the weekends as people across the UK are keen rowers and sailors, which can be seen in our success every four years at the Olympics.

Whatever sport interests you most you will find many people in the UK who share your passion, even American Football has its loyal followers nowadays, with the NFL staging one major league game a year at London’s famous Wembley Stadium.

To cater for the British love of sport visitors to the UK will also soon be aware of the vast number of betting shops up and down Britain’s high streets. Betting on everything from football matches to greyhound races is all part of the British culture, with the biggest ever gambling day being the day of the Grand National, the country’s most prestigious horse race.

Sport also plays a big part in the nation’s Christmas celebrations, with many of the countries over paid foreign footballers often shocked to discover that they will have to play matches on both Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Years Day.

We have information on all the major sports found in the UK, so just click on your chosen one to find out all about it in the UK. Enjoy!